Design and fuel management of PWR cores to optimize the once-through fuel cycle

Technical Report · Tue Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6670045· OSTI ID:6670045

Fujita, E K; Driscoll, M J; Lanning, D D

The once-through fuel cycle has been analyzed to see if there are substantial prospects for improved uranium ore utilization in current light water reactors, with a specific focus on pressurized water reactors. The types of changes which have been examined are: (1) re-optimization of fuel pin diameter and lattice pitch, (2) axial power shaping by enrichment gradation in fresh fuel, (3) use of 6-batch cores with semi-annual refueling, (4) use of 6-batch cores with annual refueling, hence greater extended (approximately doubled) burnup, (5) use of radial reflector assemblies, (6) use of internally heterogeneous cores (simple seed/blanket configurations), (7) use of power/temperature coastdown at the end of life to extend burnup, (8) use of metal or diluted oxide fuel, (9) use of thorium, and (10) use of isotopically separated low sigma/sub a/ cladding material. State-of-the-art LWR computational methods, LEOPARD/PDQ-7/FLARE-G, were used to investigate these modifications.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge (USA). Energy Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6670045
• Report Number(s): COO-4570-4; MITNE-215; MIT-EL-78-017
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210200* -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
BURNUP
COMPUTER CODES
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL CYCLE
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL MANAGEMENT
FUEL RODS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OPTIMIZATION
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS